How to quit smoking?

It has been scientifically proven that cigarettes do more harm than good. Many studies have come up that support the fact that smoking can lead to a number of diseases. People who smoke regularly are far more likely to die earlier than who do not. Cancer, cardiac arrest, emphysema are some of the consequences of tobacco smoking.

What makes the problem really alarming is the pace by which it is increasing. Young age group are now resorting themselves towards this habit. According to recent statistics, more than 25% of university students in Asian countries smoke. In the USA, 480000 people die annually due to smoking.

There are a lot of reasons for the increased usage.

People would start this habit as a result of stress that starts mounting up during teenage years. On the other side, peer pressure may also play a big role. Regardless, smoking as an activity should be discouraged and ways need to be considered to overcome it.

If you are involved in tobacco smoking and want to get over it then this article is the right guide for you. We will now consider some of the best ways to quit smoking. If you find the problem to be really intense, then there are therapy works available that can do good.

Think about all the reasons for liking smoking

This might seem to be a very unreasonable and strange thing to do. Professionals would, however, argue that making a list of all the reasons for liking smoking may be one step forward. It allows analyzing all the reasons for starting and continuing smoking.

Things you might get to see in the list are mentioned as follows.

Helping the mind to get relaxed.

It is a way to keep oneself busy.

One would smoke to look cool.

All of my friends smoke so I need to seek their approval.

Once you are done making this list resort towards the second step.

Think about all the reasons for disliking smoking

Make a list of reasons that make you dislike smoking. This is not a list of the medical consequences but rather of personal reasons for disliking. Although people would smoke for several reasons they may not entirely like it for individual reasons.

Things that you would find in such a list are described below.

It gives a bad mouth odor.

My parents and non smoker friends do not like it.

People die earlier if they smoke

The risk and high chances of fatal diseases

I can’t walk a few distances without getting short of breath.

Cigarettes are expensive

The list for both liking and disliking smoking should then be compared. If you are honest with yourself then you will find that the latter one outweighs the former. There are more reasons for pushing you to stop then keeping you to continue. This should be one eye-opener and an assistance for the following steps.

Recognizing the problem

One of the common mistake people make when deciding to quit is to fail to recognize the problem. With any sort of addiction, people fail to acknowledge that the problem exists in the first place. For example, a lot of times, people who want to quit will have no reason to do so. This is because they inherently do not realize that the problem is a grave concern that needs to be solved.

Clinical psychiatrist Daniel Z Lieberman works in the George Washington University Medical Center. He has come across several patients who were facing the problem of addiction. He believes that there is no use of any therapy until the person wants to quit the problem him/herself. No one can force the other to leave smoking unless there is an inherent realization. Thereby, it is important to consider that the problem exists and then take the steps in the right direction.

Do not quit instantly

You don’t have to quit smoking instantly. You can continue to smoke some from, time to time. This point may also appear absurd to some people. However, there is a proper justification for that. To quit right away may seem humanly impossible. Your body will start craving for tobacco after a day or two and you would be back to square one.

Professionals would say that the solution is to stop smoking gradually. Start first by reducing to 4 to 5 cigarettes a day. If you smoke 20, then make it 6 or 7 for the first initial days. This plan should be followed by a further 50% decrease. In the second week, cut down to 2 to 3 per day. Once that has been achieved, for the third week make it one per day. After following this plan you will realize that your body will gradually start to adapt itself to not smoking. If that is the case, then you are on the right track. Either way, it is important to acknowledge the problem in first place and exercise self-control.

Keeping away from triggering factors

There are a lot of things that would propel you to smoke. The environment you are in, the people you are around etc. play a massive role. In a rather interesting study, it was found that people tend to smoke more during winters and after meals than at any other time. The point being, you will come across a lot of triggering factors that will push you to light a cigarette. But you have to control yourself!

The easy way out is simple and straightforward. Keep yourself away and distracted from all these propelling things. If your friends are smoking in a circle, find other friends who are not. If that is not possible, look for any other excuse or distraction. This will help to quit the habit and help follow the plan.

The second thing is to avoid stress. While this might be a difficult thing to do but try avoiding excessive stress. People smoke when they are tensed or disturbed. Resort yourself towards physical exercise as a viable alternative.

Understanding that the future would be fine

Cigarettes do not define you. It is understandable that smoking is an impulsive habit that will be difficult to quit. However, it does not control you. There are people in this world who are non-smokers, are far happier and tend to live a longer life.

The quitting period is a difficult time altogether. You might find yourself devoid of any habit. You will tend to lie down not feeling like doing anything. It is okay, this time is short-lived and temporary. You will turn out to be fine and your future will be better than the past. Yet again, it is pertinent to acknowledge that your quality of life is going to be much better if you stop smoking.